● Pitted for tires, fuel, and adjustments during stage break and moved to 10th.

Stage 2 Recap (Ended at Lap 150):

● Bowyer started 10th and finished 35th.

● On lap 97 Bowyer told his crew, “We are in the game now.”

● Bowyer climbed to seventh and appeared ready to contend with the leaders.

● On lap 133 Bowyer cut a tire, which sent the No. 14 into the wall.

● Bowyer drove the car to the garage but could not continue in the race.

Notes:

● Kyle Busch won the Can-Am 500k to score his 51st career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his eighth of the season and his second at Phoenix. His margin of victory over second-place Brad Keselowski was .501 of a second.

● There were 10 caution periods for a total of 61 laps.

● Only 15 of the 39 drivers in the Can-Am 500k finished on the lead lap.

“I guess we cut a left-rear tire down. It’s just kind of the way our playoffs are going. It’s frustrating. We’ve had a great year getting to where we were part of this playoff situation and being in contention to be able to run for a championship. There’s a lot of pride with (crew chief) Mike (Bugarewicz) and all the guys on the 14 car. It’s been a lot of fun to go to battle each and every week all across the country with these guys. Stewart-Haas, I can’t say enough about the job the men and women have done at Stewart-Haas getting all four cars in the playoffs and then obviously winning and being in victory lane, and everything Ford and everybody involved has done for us. I’m proud of our season, bummed for our day. It’s always fun to come out here to Phoenix. It’s a hell of a crowd today, appreciate everybody coming out. Unfortunately, we were a caution. You never want to be a caution.”

Playoff Standings:

Championship 4 Drivers:

1. Kevin Harvick (5,000 points)

2. Joey Logano (5,000 points)

3. Kyle Busch (5,000 points)

4. Martin Truex Jr. (5,000 points)

Failed to Advance to Championship 4:

1. Kurt Busch

2. Aric Almirola

3. Clint Bowyer

4. Chase Elliott

Next Up:

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the season-ending Ford EcoBoost 400 on Sunday, Nov. 18 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.